By Thomas Gerbasi
It’s always important to make sure an interviewee is quoted correctly. So when unbeaten flyweight Seniesa Estrada said that she hopes to be 10-0 by the end of 2016, I had to ask her if I heard correctly.
See, Los Angeles’ Estrada is only 5-0 as she prepares for her first fight of the year against Selene Lopez on April 23. But this was no spotty phone connection playing tricks on me. She was serious.
“I am, and I believe it will happen.”
As such, maybe it’s appropriate that the Lopez fight is on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin’s middleweight title fight against Dominic Wade at The Forum in Inglewood, because it’s “GGG” that has made it safe once again for fighters to fight. And Estrada, whose inability to find opponents willing to fight her limited her to three bouts in the first three years of her pro career, wants to make up for lost time.
“2016 looks like a great year right now,” she said. “I’m planning on staying busy and finishing the year off at 10-0, and hopefully the year after that I’ll be thinking about fighting for a title.”
At this point in the world of women’s boxing, it’s not like it is in the Boys’ Club. You can’t just win a couple dozen fights, get on TV, then fight for a title. Among the ladies, you can get a title shot with just a handful of fights, but if you’re in the United States, it really doesn’t mean much. There’s no TV, whether basic or premium cable, and with the exception of Lou DiBella, who has signed several world-class female boxers, major stateside promoters haven’t embraced the sport.
K2 Promotions has made some statements though, working with pound-for-pound queen and unified welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus and now doing the same thing with Estrada, who appeared on the undercard of Golovkin’s win over Willie Monroe last May. And after she defeated Carly Batey at The Forum, she was brought back to again add some local flavor to a GGG card.
“I want to impress people even more the second time around, and since the last time, I’ve gained a lot more fans and a bigger following, so I just want to entertain all my fans and supporters and let them know why Tom (Loeffler) and K2 Promotions are willing to take a chance on women’s boxing,” she said. “So I have to be that one to represent and make sure people know why women deserve to be on cards like that.”
And yes, it’s good business, because the popular Estrada is an action fighter and a ticket seller, but K2 may be leading up to something even bigger than one shot undercard slots, as the promoter has added former WBO flyweight champion Kenia Enriquez to the April 23 show as well. That makes a future bout between the two a natural – not just for the off-TV undercard either.
“Yes, definitely,” Estrada said of a bout with the 22-year-old Mexican star. “She is a former champion and I always knew Enriquez would be a potential opponent. I do want to fight her eventually.”
But for now, it’s Lopez in front of Estrada, and another chance to build her fanbase, one that has grown significantly since her first fight at The Forum. But she’s handling all the attention and pressure like a champ.
“I don’t really see it as such a big deal because I’m the one living it,” she said. “I feel like I’m prepared for this because I had such a huge amateur background and I fought different styles, I fought in different countries, and I feel like I have all the experience I need to be where I’m at right now, even at five fights. So there’s pressure, and of course I want to impress people and look great, especially being on these big cards. But at the same time, I don’t really stop to think about it. I just prepare the same way for every fight and go in there ready to impress and put on a great show.”
Estrada has that star potential, similar to that of New York’s Heather Hardy, and while both have received plenty of positive notices, you have to wonder what it will take for them to smash down the door for the sport and get it on television. Can one woman do it, or will it take a great fight to bring the masses to the dance? Hardy vs. Shelly Vincent? Estrada vs. Enriquez? It’s an interesting topic.
“I think it will take that one person,” Estrada said. “People like Heather Hardy, she’s a good fighter, she has a good following, and no matter who she fights, I’m sure people would want to see her. And for me, I feel like I can do it myself. There doesn’t have to be a rivalry. I think people would be drawn to me and want to see me no matter who it is that I’m fighting. And I’m hoping I can open doors for other women too, but it’s difficult.”
Estrada should know, because despite being just 23, she has been in the sport since 2000. That’s more than 15 years of running up against plenty of ignorance and apathy from the sport she loves, but she’s in for the long haul. That means despite doing some work with female mixed martial arts star Cris “Cyborg” Justino for FoxSports.com, Estrada isn’t making the move from the ring to the Octagon.
“I have thought about that, and my answer is no,” she laughs. “I won’t go. There’s so much to accomplish in boxing, and boxing’s my sport. I can’t just jump over to MMA and think I’m going to destroy everybody. My stand-up game would be incredible, but once I get on the ground, I’ll get choked out or my arm would be broken. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to try and dominate another sport. Just because it’s difficult for women in boxing and it seems to be getting easier for women in MMA doesn’t mean I’m going to take that route and go to MMA because there’s more exposure there right now. I have too many goals in boxing and too much to accomplish.”
One of them is getting five fights in 2016. Another is even bolder, but Seniesa Estrada is not the type of fighter you want to underestimate.
“I told myself I’m going to be that person that young girls and kids can look up to and I can inspire,” she said. “I might not be able to open up doors for everybody, but I’m doing the best I can to inspire people. I’m ready to change the sport.”